Swaddle

ABSTRACT

A baby swaddle including a pod for receiving a baby. The pod includes a zipper having first and second catches, first and second pockets and first and second arm holes. The swaddle also includes first and second wings for wrapping around the pod. The second wing has a hook and loop fastener for fastening to the first wing. The baby can be placed inside the pod using the zipper and the baby&#39;s arms can either be placed in the first and second pockets, through first and second arm holes or retained within the pod. The first wing wraps around the pod and the second wing wraps around the pod and attaches to the first wing via the hook and look fastener to securely and snuggly swaddle the baby.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The instant disclosure relates to apparatuses with improved air flow and comfort. In particular, the instant disclosure relates to baby swaddles with improved air flow, comfort, and securement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to baby swaddles and other child usable objects. Swaddling refers to the practice of wrapping infants in blankets or fabrics to restrict the movement of the infant's limbs. Many parents find swaddling to have a calming effect on the baby, and therefore employ swaddling as a means to reduce crying and to assist the baby in sleep. In addition, swaddling can be used to keep the baby in the supine position during sleep to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Conventional swaddle techniques utilize a square blanket folded into triangular shapes to hold the baby within. The blanket is folded into a triangular shape and the baby is positioned near the center of the triangle long edge. The triangle point to the left or right of the baby is laid across the baby and tucked under the baby, and then the opposite triangle point is then wrapped over that and tucked in to the pre-wrapped portion of the blanket. This way, the baby's arms are locked into place. The parent can elect to have the baby's arms down, or up near the baby's mouth. Oftentimes, the third point of the triangle located at the baby's feet is folded up prior to the wrap of the left or right triangle point. Experts caution that the legs should remain free to move to lower the risk of developmental hip disorders.

There are several issues in properly swaddling a baby. First, the swaddle should be secure enough so that the baby cannot wiggle out of the swaddle. This not only improves the experience for the baby, but ensures the baby won't fall out during transport. Second, the swaddle should laterally secure the baby, but also allow the baby's legs to move freely.

Third, for preferred breathing conditions, no part of the swaddle material should be in contact with the baby's face. Infants usually breathe through their nasal passages. However, during crying or in the event their nasal passages are blocked, infants may breathe through their oral cavities. Mechanical resistance suffocation takes place when respiration is interrupted if these passages are both blocked externally by an object. When respiration is interrupted, CO₂ levels in the blood rise. The body's response to this elevation in CO₂ levels is to attempt more rigorous respiration. If the agent of suffocation is not removed, the incident may be fatal after two or three minutes. Further, breathing CO₂ or other dangerous gases may be a possible cause of SIDS. Conventional swaddle designs may attempt to keep extraneous portions of the swaddle garment away from the baby's face, but even they do not adequately address mechanical resistance and buildup of CO₂. A need exists for a swaddle that reduces the risk of suffocation in the event the swaddle material comes in contact with the face of the baby.

Although the exact causes of SIDS remain unconfirmed, overheating is another suspected cause. Overheating may be caused by over-bundling, too much bedding material, or the wrong kinds of materials in an infant's bedding. Additionally, some infants sweat heavily during the deepest part of their sleep cycles and can wake up wet from the accumulation of sweat. Babies spend more time in the deepest part of the sleep cycle than do children or adults, and are therefore more susceptible to waking up wet. Heat coupled with accumulated moisture can be a cause of heat rash and/or prickly heat. Currently available swaddle garments do not adequately address overheating and sweating. Therefore, a need exists for a swaddle design that reduces the risk of overheating, and allows for sweat to evaporate from the body.

For at least these reasons, a need exists for a new swaddle garment that addresses breathability, heat regulation, and peacefulness.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is directed to a swaddle for a baby. According to one embodiment, a baby swaddle includes a pod for receiving a baby. The pod includes a zipper having first and second catches, first and second pockets and first and second arm holes. The swaddle also includes first and second wings for wrapping around the pod. The second wing has a hook and loop fastener for fastening to the first wing. The baby can be placed inside the pod using the zipper and the baby's arms can either be placed in the first and second pockets, through first and second arm holes or retained within the pod The first wing wraps around the pod and the second wing wraps around the pod and attaches to the first wing via the hook and look fastener to securely and snuggly swaddle the baby.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims herein. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present designs. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the designs disclosed herein, both as to the organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 represents the front side of a swaddle with wings open according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 represents the front side of a swaddle with wings closed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 represents the back side of a swaddle with wings open according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 represents the back side of a swaddle with wings closed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates the front side of a swaddle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6-10 demonstrate methods of swaddling a baby according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates the front and back of a swaddle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a baby swaddle. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there is provided a swaddle garment 100 having a rear garment section 144, a front garment section 146, and a pod 130 for receiving a baby. The pod 130 is sized to have extra-wide hip-healthy leg area. The rear garment section includes a left outer wing 150 and a right outer wing 152. The right outer wing 152 includes a Velcro loop 153 and a Velcro hook 154. The swaddle garment 100 also includes a zipper 160 with catches 162, 164 at both ends of the zipper. The swaddle garment 100 also includes pockets 170, 172 at the top end of the swaddle garment 100 in the pod 130. The pockets 170, 172 allow for baby's arms to be positioned up in the pod 130 for self-soothing. The swaddle garment 100 also includes arm holes 190, 192 so the baby's hands and arms could be placed therethrough if chosen. As baby grows older, the arms being positioned out of the pod 130 helps baby reposition itself. The swaddle garment 100 can also include a harness slit opening in the back to insert a car seat or sleeper harness therethrough.

To swaddle a baby, the swaddle garment 100 is laid flat on a surface with front garment section 146 upwards, as shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 6 through 10 demonstrate the preferred swaddling process according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The baby is inserted feet first into pod 130 as shown in FIG. 6 with the zipper 160 open. In option 1, the caregiver may choose to put the baby's arms upward and hands into pockets 170, 172 so that the baby can self-soothe herself as shown in FIG. 7. The zipper 160 is then closed. Unlike traditional swaddles that keep a baby's arms by their side or across their chest, this position replicates the baby's behavior in the womb, allowing the natural arms up position and movement of their hands to the mouth to self-soothe. Typically, this position is used for the first few weeks after the baby is born. In this stage, the baby is still very curled up and prefers the position of holding hands near the face and does not like the hands pinned down.

In option 2, the caregiver may choose to place the baby's hands down by baby's side inside of the pod 130 for a traditional swaddle posture as shown in FIG. 8. The zipper 160 is then closed. As the baby enters the second month after birth, the baby is typically most comfortable with the hands in the down position. This can make a difference in sleep stretches.

In option 3, the caregiver may choose to place the hands and arms through the arm holes 190, 192 to outside of the pod 130 as shown in FIG. 9. The zipper 160 is then closed. When the baby is over 2 months or strong enough to roll over, this position is used so that the baby's arms are free to help baby reposition.

Referring to FIG. 10, in all three options (FIGS. 7-9), the swaddle garment 100 is closed by first snuggly wrapping the left side wing 150 over the pod 130. Then, the right side wing 152 is snugly wrapped over the pod 130 and over the left side wing 150. The Velcro hook 154 secures the right side wing 152 over the left side wing 150 to secure the swaddle garment 100. Because the wings 150, 152 are wrapped, they accommodate different sized babies. The Velcro hook 154 can be attached to the Vecro loop 153 when not in use to prevent accidental hooking to other objects.

The zipper 160 has catches 162, 164 for zipping and unzipping the pod 130. When placing the baby in the pod 130, usually catch 162 would be used to unzip the zipper 160 and then rezip the zipper 160 when the baby is placed in the pod 130. The zipper 160 extends below the wings 150, 152. Thus even after swaddling as shown in FIG. 10, catch 164 can be used to upzip the bottom of the zipper 160 below the wings 150, 152 to open the pod 130 at the bottom. This allows a caregiver to change a baby's diaper without unswaddling the baby. The bottom catch 164 can also be used to open the pod 130 if baby is too warm.

The swaddle garment 100 could also use any suitable fastening means. For example, instead of a zipper, the swaddle garment 100 could use snaps or buttons. Likewise, instead of Velcro or hook and loop fasteners, the swaddle garment 100 could use snaps or buttons.

FIG. 11 generally illustrates the use and typical placement of instruction labels, care labels, warning labels and brand labels.

Generally, the swaddle garment 100 can be made of a soft, lightweight premium jersey activewear fabric with spandex that provides stretch and compression for a womb-like feel. However, babies are particularly susceptible to respiratory problems, in part because they have not yet developed the motor skills to clear breathing passages. According to another example embodiment of the present disclosure, the swaddle garment 100 may also comprise a breathable mesh-type material.

In one embodiment, the fabrics of rear garment section 144 and front garment section 146 may include any of a variety of breathable-type materials that provide breathable functionality. Breathable functionality refers to the ability of the material to allow air to substantially move effectively therethrough. As used herein, when air is indicated as substantially moving effectively through a material, it is meant that the material includes openings (e.g., mesh openings, open-framework, spaces between elements thereof, or even those that may not be visually perceivable openings but still allow a breathable function to occur) that do not impede air movement to an extent that would prevent a human being from breathing through (e.g., when a human's respiratory openings are in direct contact with a material) such a material in order to prevent suffocation and further that such openings are too small to permit an infant to insert a finger or toe therethrough.

Fabrics that can be used include, but are not limited to cotton, silk, polyester, nylon, and the like. In fact, one embodiment is made of 100% polyester fabric, polyester being versatile enough to be manufactured into the mesh fabric configurations described above. It should be noted that the scope of embodiments is not limited to any particular value for mesh size, thickness, thermal transmission, carbon dioxide dispersion, water vapor transmission, air permeability, and the like. Various embodiments include fabrics that provide breathability, even when placed over an infant's mouth and nose, but do not include holes in the mesh that are large enough to fit a finger or other appendage. In fact, any garment providing a breathable thermal mesh outer surface, a mesh or brushed inner surface, or even an inner liner that wicks moisture, is contemplated.

It will be recognized that the thickness of any of the materials may vary, as well as for other materials described herein. For example, more padding may create a softer more plush effect with slightly different breathability/ventilation properties, whereas less padding may create more breathability, more thermal transmittance, and less weight.

Additionally, any of the mesh-type materials herein may be configured as a breathable integrated mesh material in combination with one or more other material layers. For example, a mesh material may be used in combination with one or more layers of other material adjacent thereto. Such additional layers may be layers of cotton material, knit jersey material, and/or the like. Such additional material layers may provide additional benefits such as, for example, thermal properties with breathability.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the design as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A baby swaddle comprising: a pod for receiving a baby, wherein the pod includes a zipper having first and second catches, first and second pockets and first and second arm holes; and first and second wings for wrapping around the pod, wherein the second wing has a hook and loop fastener for fastening to the first wing; wherein a baby can be placed inside the pod using the zipper and the baby's arms can either be placed in the first and second pockets, through first and second arm holes or retained within the pod and wherein the first wing can wrap around the pod and the second wing can wrap around the pod and attach to the first wing via the hook and look fastener to securely and snuggly swaddle the baby. 